#WISDOMSample

Good vs. Better

Why is it so tempting to settle for what is good when we could have what’s better?

In Proverbs, Solomon makes many observations about what is “better.” In Proverbs 28:6 Solomon says, “Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.” Our lives are often an endless search for what is “better.” Unfortunately, we often get distracted from the better way of life and settle for the good, or even, sometimes, evil.

When Solomon originally wrote Proverbs, he wrote in Hebrew. Hebrew is a beautiful and complex language that is perfect for communicating deep wisdom and insight. This word better that Solomon uses is not a word that simply means greater than, or superior to, other options. The word better that he uses carries with it the idea of something being pleasing, happy, pure, genuine, and true.

As we read the Proverb, they are not only an invitation to walk in the world in a way that is superior to other options, but they are guide posts into a journey that is pure, genuine, and satisfying to the highest degree. The way of wisdom, given to us through the Proverbs, is so satisfying because it’s the way God designed for us to experience His glory, and there is nothing better than that.

In your reading today, keep asking yourself, “How am I settling for what is good when I could have what is better?”